Orijen Adult Dry Dog Food Review

Dog Food Insiders Rating

5 PAWS

Product Overview

Champion Petfoods and Orijen are known for producing “Biologically appropriate pet foods from Fresh Regional Ingredients.” They operate on the principle that dogs should eat a diet that contains foods similar to what they would eat on a natural diet in the wild. The food contains lots of meat protein. Orijen foods have 75 to 80 percent meat and they contain 38 to 42 percent protein. This is more than most dog foods. They only have 18 to 22 percent carbohydrates which is very low. They are made with up to 40 percent fresh meats which is virtually unique. And they use a minimum of five fresh meats in each formula. There are really no other foods, especially kibbles, that are similar to Orijen.

NOTE: For additional information such as manufacturing processes and past recall information, check out our full Orijen Dog Food Review.

First 5 Ingredients Breakdown

The top 5 ingredients included in Orijen Adult Dry Dog Food are boneless chicken, chicken meal, chicken liver, whole herring, and boneless turkey. Below you will find a brief explanation of each of these ingredients:

Boneless Chicken – Fresh chicken is a very valuable source of animal protein for your dog. Orijen uses free-run cobb chicken in their formulas so you can rest assured that it is hormone- and antibiotic-free. Plus, it is an excellent source of protein for your large-breed puppy.

Chicken Meal – Chicken meal is made from the same meat as boneless chicken, but it has already been cooked to remove moisture. This means that chicken meal is a much more highly concentrated source of protein than boneless chicken which makes it a valuable addition to this formula.

Chicken Liver – Not only does this ingredient provide your dog with protein, but it is also packed with essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin D, various B vitamins, iron, phosphorus, and folic acid.

Whole Herring – This ingredient is an excellent source of protein, like the three ingredients before it. Because this ingredient comes from fish, not meat, it also contains omega-3 fatty acids which is good for a dog’s skin, coat, nervous system, heart, and other systems.

Boneless Turkey – Like boneless chicken, boneless turkey is an excellent source of animal protein. It is important to remember, however, that fresh meats like turkey contain up to 80% water so they will contribute less to the finished product in terms of protein volume. Because there are so many protein sources included in this recipe, however, this isn’t a problem.

Additional Ingredients Breakdown

Aside from the top five ingredients, there are several other notable ingredients found in Orijen Adult Dry Dog Food. Some of these ingredients include turkey meal, herring meal, salmon meal, chicken cartilage, chicken liver oil, lentils, peas, alfalfa, chickpeas, and various fresh fruits and vegetables. Like chicken meal, turkey meal, herring meal, and salmon meal are all highly concentrated sources of protein. These ingredients also contain some valuable fats, though chicken liver oil is a more concentrated source of essential fatty acids. In addition to several types of meat and meat meals, this formula also contains a variety of animal organs and cartilage. Organ meats are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals in addition to providing protein.

This Orijen Adult Dry Dog Food contains both red lentils and green lentils along with peas, chickpeas, and alfalfa. All of these ingredients provide your dog with dietary fiber to support healthy digestion – they also contain some vegetarian protein. Plant-based protein sources are less biologically valuable to your dog than animal-based sources but this Orijen Adult Dry Dog Food is loaded with animal proteins so you don’t have to worry about it. Other ingredients in the food include more meat and fish protein sources, berries as antioxidants, botanicals which may or may not be useful for your dog, digestive enzymes which, again, may or may not be useful, vitamins, and chelated minerals which do help your dog absorb minerals more efficiently.

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude protein (min.) ….. 38%

Crude fat (min.) ….. 17%

Crude fiber (max.) ….. 3%

Moisture (max.) ….. 10%

Calcium (min./max.) ….. 1.4 / 1.6 %

Phosphorus (min./max.) ….. 1.2 / 1.4 %

Omega-6 (min.) ….. 3%

Omega-3 (min.) ….. 1.1%

DHA (min.) ….. 0.6%

EPA (min.) ….. 0.3%

AA (min.) ….. 0.16%

Carbohydrate (max.) ….. 25%

Ash (max.) ….. 7.5%

Taurine (min.) ….. 0.35%

Glucosamine (min.) ….. 1400 mg/kg

Chondroitin (min.) ….. 1000 mg/kg

Microorganisms (min.) ….. 120M cfu/kg

pH ….. 5.5

Metabolizable energy for ORIJEN ADULT is 434 kcal per 8 ounce cup

ORIJEN ADULT DOG is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for ALL LIFE STAGES.

Summary

Orijen Adult Dog food looks like a good food for anyone who wants to feed a grain free food. It has 38 percent protein and 17 percent fat. This is a lot of protein. This level of protein is usually fed to more active dogs in other brands. The ingredients look like they are of excellent quality. If your dog has any problems digesting the food it might be due to the peas and pea fiber. If that’s the case, you can look for a food that doesn’t contain these ingredients.

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